Easy Vietnamese salt and pepper squid - recipe

There are many versions of this dish, the worst of which is the thickly battered frozen squid rings sold as a snack in many bars, which are a waste of stomach space. When I make fried squid, I don't bother with using a batter, because the moisture of the squid combined with the flour and cornstarch creates a nice light coating. The trick of turning the squid rings inside out is something food stylist Nellie Ming Lee taught me - it means they stay round, rather than collapsing.

If the thought of cleaning squid is off-putting, ask the seafood vendor to do it for you. You'll have to pay a lot more, though.

After mixing together the salt pepper and five-spice powder, half will be used to season the squid, while the remainder will be mixed with fresh lime juice, to use as a dipping sauce.

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